Morning time traveled along Smallville as a start of a beautiful weekend filled the citizen's senses. The sun was shinning brightly against the pure white, fluffy clouds in the sky as warm air flowed around in the atmosphere while a slight breeze would blow by every now and then. Down at the Kent farm and at the bottom of the red barn was Clark Kent, who had his hands placed down on a tool table and his arms leaning slanted so it looked like he was trying to push the table into the ground. It was in the early hours of the sunup, the time around nine o'clock as the boy stood silently where he was, not daring to move or even sigh while he remained in thought.
The words that his best friend had said to him last night were still lingering in his mind. He hated him. Not even that had sunk in yet. They had known each other all their life, been through everything together and now, he even knew his secret, and then suddenly those words were said and floating in his head. If he hadn't taken it easy, then he wasn't even going to think about seeing the girls until at least a week or two. Hearing them say they hated him too would be too much for him to manage and take in all at the same time. When did his life suddenly become so complicated? He remembered the days were he could go to school and just be himself without having to worry so much.
Sighing against his will and closing his eyes gently, Clark could abruptly hear the noise of footsteps walking into the shed and getting closer to his body as he gulped loudly and bowed his head down to were his hands were. "You all right son?" Knowing whom it was immediately, the teen exhaled again and merely nodded his head, shifting positions on his feet and opening his eyes so he could stare down at the wooden bench in front of him.
"Just thinking." He simply uttered, seeing through the corner of his eye his father tilt his head to the side and stuff his hands in his pockets despondently. The man could see just by looking at the boy's face that something was wrong, and since he did not know what it was, he had no choice but to ask the question that soon fell out of his lips and flew into Clark's hearing.
"About what?" Jonathan inquired, taking a step forward so was right behind his son as Clark licked his lips and continued to gaze down at the back of his tan hands.
"How much my life sucks." The farm boy told him, ignoring the irritated sigh he heaved and the hand that left his shoulder while the father rolled his eyes at his words and tried to hold back the retort that was threatening to come. Sometimes he was aggravated by his son's words about his secret. He knew it was a burden to carry, but it was just something he was going to have to deal with and get use to.
"Clark, you know that's not true." Jonathan informed him, without hesitation feeling him spin around and dart his eyebrows down as he gaped his mouth open forlornly. "How would you know? Anyone could come here and kill you guys just because they know I'm different. Do you know what it feels like to walk around knowing that every day of my life?" Clark asked despondently, waiting two seconds until he saw the older man nod his head with a somewhat know it all expression.
"Yes, I do Clark. Your mother and I have to worry about some FBI freaks come bursting through our door and killing us just to get you as well, you know." He reminded him, the sudden dispute they were having surprising him as he tried to make his words come out nice and softly, but instead having them harsh and ruthless. Jonathan hated it when his son talked about this stuff. It was always either he felt guilty or that he reviled the onus he carried. Coming to realization a minute after he said those words, the boy stood up straight and placed his arms to his chest miserably.
"Then why did you even keep me in the first place?" The question stroke Jonathan like a ton of bricks as Clark stood waiting for an answer. At first, the father didn't know what to say. The real answer was that they loved him and that he was their son, however, in his mind during that moment he felt a blank space hovering around. The anger that was in his body was overtaking any other feeling so remorse, love, anxiety, or even concern couldn't come in. It left him no choice but to sigh and shoot his eyebrows up.
"I think you know that answer son." Jonathan said, leaving the boy to stand silent for a second as he exhaled heavily and ran his hands down his face, leaning his back against the table and closing his eyes when he took in what his father had spoken. It didn't change the way he felt though. Even if his parents loved him, that love could never take away the nuisance he experienced when it came to his clandestine.
"My secret has caused nothing but pain and misery to everyone's life dad. Pete hates me because I ran away, Lana probably won't even talk to me anymore, and Chloe's just a whole other story. Maybe I was better off in Metropolis after all." Clark supposed, remembering feeling so relaxed and unperturbed when he was on 'his drug' during those three months. He never had to worry about what he did or what was coming next as he just had fun. What he had said made his father more annoyed though as he snarled slightly and shook his head while he grabbed his son's shoulders and made him face him so he was looking him in the eye.
"Clark, running away from your problems isn't always the answer. You don't seem to understand that son!" Jonathan shouted, the second he was done with his words feeling Clark pull away from his grip and take a step back away from the table and away from him. Throwing his hands up in the air, he growled loudly and brought his head up to his father's view so he could see the seriousness that he held.
"I'm only seven-teen dad! I don't want the weight of the world on my shoulders anymore." He told him, instead of seeing the man walk up to him and hug him like his mother would do or even just pat him on the shoulder, he stood where he was and shrugged at his words.
"You don't exactly have a choice Clark. You think it's easier for me to keep all this a secret? Trust me, it isn't. You can't just run away because it's too much. You don't know what the consequences are when you do!" Jonathan exclaimed, knowing that it was harder for him to keep the secret underhanded, which was the reason he was yelling at the boy that very moment. Sighing and placing his arms back to his chest as if he was cold; he looked away to the right side of him and gulped loudly as he avoided any eye contact with his father.
"I think I've figured that out already." Clark muttered to himself, hearing the man walk forwards him as he nodded his head and licked his lips heatedly.
"Have you? Have you figured out how hard it was without you? Clark, we've lost the farm because you suddenly decided you couldn't handle your problems!" Jonathan bellowed at him, about five inches near the boy's face as he instantly got his attention from his words. Leisurely turning his head over to him and letting his arms fall down to his side, he felt his eyes widen and his mouth part open while the saliva inside started to dry.
"So all I am to you is a farm tool? Is that the real reason why you kept me?" Clark queried, watching Jonathan exhale air through his teeth as he closed his eyes tightly for a second to control his anger when he balled his hand into a fist to keep himself from doing anything rash. Fighting with his son was the last thing he wanted to do to start the day off, and as he slowly opened up his sight to see the boy staring at him for a reply, he felt his fingernails dig into the palm of his hand.
"Clark, don't start!" He demanded, his voice firm and loud as for a second, the teen thought about dropping the situation. But as soon as he did, he pushed the consideration aside and leaned his body on his other foot as he looked deeply at the man for an answer to the inquiry he was speculating.
"Start what? Telling the truth? You only kept me because I'm the glue that holds your farm together, isn't it?" Clark wondered, feeling the man slowly place his hands on his shoulders as he looked into his greenish blue eyes, which caused him tighten his grip when he only saw the same anger that he held. Less then four minutes after he comes inside the barn he's having a brawl with his son and it questioned him extremely to the point where he just wanted to leave the place as soon as he could.
"Clark, I love you…." He said, trailing off into silence as he lowered his head and then brought it inconsolably only to speak wretchedly.
"But right now we have more important things to worry about than your every problem and need." Jonathan enlightened him, taking his hands of his shoulders and turning around so he could take two steps forward and see the sun outside beam down on his body. Before he was even close to the shed entrance though to leave, an unexpected murmur filled his ears and stopped him in his tracks right away.
"I was right to listen to Jor-EL." Clark mumbled, his head looking to the right when he heard the loud footsteps of his father come rushing into his ears so as soon as he blinked, he was in front of him with an angry face and a wound up temper.
"You did not listen to Jor-EL, son. You put on a red Kryptonite ring and ran away from your plights-you did the farthest thing from listening to him! Now, if I were you, I'd start worrying about cleaning up the mess you already made! Because of your actions we have to worry about Lionel knowing your secret now." Jonathan hollered at him when instantaneously Clark's jaw dropped open and he threw his hands up in the air again only this time, baffled at the older man's words.
"Since when was that my fault!?" He exclaimed, his voice coming out as a loud roar as his father pointed his finger in his face furiously.
"Since the day you became friends with Lex!" Jonathan informed him, yelling even louder as the clash got more lurid or crueler, showing so with words and actions they did.
"Why are you always bringing him into this dad? He did nothing-" Cutting Clark off, Jonathan bit his lower lip and balled his hands into fist, trying to control what the fury was doing to him however, not succeeding. "He's on his father side trying to find out that your different Clark! Ever since they day he hit you with his car." He told him, the echo of his words filling the barn with how brassy he was becoming while the boy simply titled his head to the side deliberately.
"Lex isn't trying to find out my secret, your just trying to blame him for something he hasn't done." Clark defended, as soon as he finished speaking seeing his father sigh infuriately when he took two steps back and threw his hands up in the air in antagonism.
"Fine Clark, your right! I am blaming him for this. You want to know the real reason I am mad at you? It's not only because you ran away and didn't take fault for what you did, but when you did run away, you didn't even bother to take responsibility for what you did!" Jonathan shouted, relating to all the robbery's his son did and even stealing his own blood from a rich and powerful man. Sick and tired of fighting, the teen felt his face relax to a soft and regretful expression as he blew air through his cheeks dejectedly.
"And I've apologized for that! Dad, please-" Stopping him from talking again, the father sighed and shook his head as he put his hand up in the air dismally.
"No. No, I'm not in the mood Clark. Go complain to someone who cares." Jonathan said, turning around and placing both of his arms down to his side as silence flowed around him, the only clamor was the sound of his shoes walking on the ground. The rage that was running through his body had taken control of him, and he knew it the second he put his back to his son's face. Just as he had taken five simple steps away from the boy though, a sudden, earsplitting gunshot filled his ears and immediately making him spin around in shock from the noise to find his son standing with three fingers feebly placed to his stomach and his eyes staring blankly in front of him.
"Dad." Clark faintly whispered with a shaky voice before his eyes shut against his will and everything around him went black.
To be Continued…